Irish Democratic Alliance - Meeting At Bradford

On Monday evening a Soiree and ball was
held at the Neptune Inn, Bridge-street, in
commemoration of the escape of T. B.
M'Manus to the land of liberty. The large
room was tastefully decorated; in the centre was an arch of flowers entwined with
evergreens, from which was suspended the
portrait of the hero of the evening, and
around the room were portraits of the Irish
Patriots, that of Mitchell (most beautifully
decorated) was suspended over the vice chair.
The National convention stood proudly forth,
and along side was the Wexford Massacre.
A quadrille band commenced the amusements
with the national air of St. Patrick's day.

Mr. John Kirwin occupied the chair, Mr.
James Curtis, the vice. The Stewards wore
the national tricolor rosette ; and the respectability of the meeting presented an appearance never before witnessed in Bradford.

The Chairman having explained the objects of the meeting in a neat speech, gave the
"Independence of Ireland," which was most
heartily received in the usual old Irish way.
Mr. M. Maloney responded, and concluded amid the applause of the meeting.
The next sentiment was the exile's song,
" The Exile of Erin," by Mr. Flynn.

Mr. O'Sullivan, who was called upon to
respond, after some introductory remarks on
the present state of Ireland, asked the sympathies of his hearers for the virtues and
examples of the glorious Mitchell, the eloquent Meagher, the unconquerable O'Brien,
and all their brave compeers. Men who
had lived but for Ireland and freedom.
The honest boldness of the former, whose
powerful mind shook off the trammels of
class, and whose pen only essayed for his
countrymen their freedom, equalisation in
political and social privileges, irrespective
of class or creed, and whose firmness of purpose rendered him alike an object of their
most enthusiastic admiration and esteem.
It was he who proclaimed to a down-trodden
nation the fact, " that the poorest peasant
was as precious as the proudest lord." The
untiring eloquence of the noble Meagher,
whose manly soul felt wealth and rank a
degradation, when not employed in the
amelioration of suffering humanity, and
whose sole thoughts were centred in the one
great object—Irish Nationality. The unconquerable O'Brien, whose uncompromising resolve rendered him alike an object of
love and hate-the former to his friends,
the latter to his foes—and whose name and
spirit future generations would yet evoke as
their load-star, and whose escutcheon he
(the speaker) trusted, would yet have emblematic of love, liberty, and happiness,
their brave compeers, who, one and all acted
on the glorious sentiment of their national
bard :—

"Far dearer the Tomb or the prison,
Illumined by one patriot's name,
Than the trophies of all who have risen,
On liberty's ruins to fame."

It would ill-become him (the speaker) to
pass over without notice, the illustrious band
of exiles and martyrs of '98. Who amongst
them did not breathe an ejaculation of honour and esteem for that Irish hero, Arthur
O'Connor, whose name had become identified and synonymous with the Exiles of
Erin, now in the fifty-third year of his banishment ? And where was the son of Erin
who felt not proud of enumerating amongst
Ireland's children such men as Tone, Fitzgerald, R. O'Connor, Emmett, and the pea-
sant commander (Dennis Hoolan) of Oulart
Hill ? Nor should they, living in the land
of the stranger, forget the English exiles of
'48,—the honest Cuffey, the bold Lacey, the
upright Fay, the manly Dowling:—men
whose only and and object was Equality,
Fraternity, and Liberty. What had they
to fear with such bright examples before
them? Let them unite them in future
happiness, let religious distinctions keep
them no longer apart, but memory, swift as
light, bear them back to the heroes of the
past, with a firm resolve to imitate their
virtue, to honour their principles, and an
untiring devotion to their disinterestedness:— and may their spirit animate them,
that they may see the day when the tomb
of Emmett should be inscribed, and the
living exiles triumphantly return to the
laud of their birth amid the joyous shouts
of a " Caed Miaulle Failthea." Mr. O'Sullivan resumed his seat amid the acclamations of the meeting.

The next sentiment was, " The escape of
T. B. M'Manus." Song, " Who fears to
speak of '98," sung by Mr. Collins in excellent style, was cheered and encored.
Mr. Smith responded to the sentiment,
" The Tenant League."
The juvenile portion of the meeting then
commenced to trip it on the light fantastic
too. All was good humour and joy, and the
nmeeting separated at an early hour in the
morning, highly delighted.

Notes

The phrase "Nor should they, living in the land of the stranger, forget the English exiles of '48,—the honest Cuffey, the bold Lacey, the upright Fay, the manly Dowling:—men whose only and and object was Equality, Fraternity, and Liberty. What had they to fear with such bright examples before them?" shows with what esteem William Cuffay was held by Irish Patriots living in exile in Britain.

That this extract from the Chartist Newspaper the Northern Star appeared in a regional newspaper in Goulburn NSW provides another example of Chartist influence in Australia as well as continued interest in Cuffay as he was beginning his new career as a leader of the labour movement and anti-transportation movement in Hobart.